HALLSVILLE, Texas (KLTV) - Hallsville West Elementary School is celebrating a major reading milestone - putting more than 1,000 books in circulation among its students through its book vending machine.

The school was honored last week at a luncheon by the Greater Longview United Way for the accomplishment.

Joyce Schneider, a librarian and technology media specialist at the school, said the machine was funded through a United Way Read to Succeed grant five years ago when the school opened."It's awesome to see them get excited about reading because without them being excited, they don't want to jump into the next book," Schneider said.